full circle in the car pool line!

ok, so a few days ago, i think it was monday when we were driving to school, i had a not so friendly experience in the car pool line. so hang in there with me as i set up the stage here - we were trying to turn left into the school parking lot. we were turning left off a pretty busy road, but at close to 8 in the morning which road near charlotte isn't busy. in the school parking lot they have a lane for you to simply drive up and drop off the kids. i was trying to enter into that lane, jordyn and jesiah are still in jammies - there is no way we are getting out. the rest of the parking lot you can park and walk your kid in. ok, so i am attempting to turn left and get into the drop off line. the drop off is backed up, there is a line of cars in the right turn lane and then there is the oncoming traffic. there are also cars bypassing the right turn lane/drop off lane and pulling into the parking lot - some are parking some are trying to merge into the lane. there are cars coming from every which way... i couldn't turn left. so the suv behind me is a bit impatient and blows her horn at me, where she thinks i should go i don't know. i finally turn left when it is safe for me, my 3 kids and my new minivan. as i am sitting in the drop off lane, i see the lady in the suv, shaking her head at me and pointing and talking with a guy in an even bigger suv, both are shaking their heads at me and annoyed with me. i was so frustrated and felt bothered by their response. i immediately call susan who is very experienced in this car pool thing - asking her what did i do wrong??? of course she assured me it wasn't me and it was their problem.

i decided that morning we would leave earlier at beat the traffic mess and glares of impatient moms and dads. so the last couple mornings we have left earlier and gone a different route which puts me in that right turn lane and directly into the drop off line.

this morning we were a bit later than the previous ones, i still took the route to the right lane. as i am sitting in the right lane/drop off line, who do i see but the suv mom who was beeping at me on monday and guess where she is and what she does???? she is in the left turn lane and completely turns left into a stream of oncoming traffic - i just sighed to myself. a minute later as we approach the drop off point - we see this mom getting out of her suv with her daughter that is when my almost 7 year old son says "hey mom, that is (blank-will not disclose names) in my class with his/her mom"

wow... i am so glad that i hadn't responded back to either choices she had made on monday or today. after she made her poor choice today and before josh said that, i was thinking that perhaps i should give her a piece of my mind of how i thought she was a dangerous driver and she was putting us all at risk for her ill behavior - of course i thought this and the words didn't and wouldn't have ever come out of my mouth.

that got me to thinking about the choices we make in what we say to people and how we treat them. you never know when those people will show up full circle in the car pool line!

i am sure that i will have interactions with this mom since our kids are in the same class - i pray that i will have the strength to put the unkindness that satan puts in my head away and continue to show her a glimpse of what Christ looks like in me. i will treat her with love and kindness even though her choice of actions and reactions are not positive ones!!!

kudos to those of you who drive safely and have patience in your car pool lines!!!!!